In The Space Between
by FlameTwirler
Summary: AU. LJ Challenge. Of her two closest friends, one is long dead and the other has gone missing. Now Sakura will stop at nothing to track Naruto down, even if it means ending up on the doorstep of the experimental creeps who'd fashioned her power. KakaSaku
1. 1: Sakura

**A/N: **This here is my start for the AU contest posted up in the LJ KakaSaku community, with my assigned theme being psychic powers. I've not done much AU reading in the Naruto fandom before so this one's kinda new to me, but it's been pretty interesting up to this point. However since I didn't finish this story in time I am going back and rewriting it and fleshing it out since I really am kinda taken with this story.

This story is a bit darker than I normally take on (I blame too much news for that) so just also be aware that these characters reflect their environment. That is all.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled fanfiction.

**Challenge:** Alternate Universe  
><strong>Theme:<strong> Psychic Powers  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M - language & content  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Psychological trauma, death, torture (non-graphic)

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><p><strong>1. Sakura<strong>

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><p>She was running, a sense of bone-deep foreboding enveloping her as her panting echoed in own her ears, becoming all she could hear in the cavernous emptiness. Head swiveling, her eyes darted in all directions as she sought any avenue of escape, but her feet hastened her implacably down the path to meet what awaited. She tried to force her eyes shut, knowing what she'd find just around the next bend, every fiber of her being fighting to avoid the scene, but her body refused to comply. After the dark void, an explosion of garishly bright colors flashed before her, her mind momentarily stunned by the jarring transition. It took a moment for it all to filter in, to understand that the brilliant red was anything but festive as it splattered on the now constrictively tight walls and spilled through her trembling fingers, soaking through the raven hair she reflexively clutched at. She reached down, arms cradling, ears ringing, mind spinning, as her world contracted to a point of bright darkness that pulsated over and over against the inside of her skull, the force of her own screams bringing her forcefully back to consciousness.<p>

Her eyes flew open with a snap and on a shocked gasp she tried to escape, clawing at the tangle of sheets that made it suddenly impossible to sit up. Just a dream then. No, not a dream, not even a nightmare: a memory. Fingers shaking, she pushed irritably at her bangs, sticky with sweat and clinging to her forehead. Shaking her head she tried to dispel the last clinging tendrils of the dream that wasn't a dream, only to realize it wasn't a ringing in her ears she was hearing; the screams were outside her head as well. With a sigh she realized Tsunade must've snuck up into her section of the compound again.

Even considering Sakura's own twisted past, she didn't envy the demons the old woman had in her closet. Tsunade was a tough old broad to have made it this many years not only under that burden, but also as a female leader in the underworld. But whether it was because of her strength or in spite of it, she often sought one of the empty rooms in Sakura's quarters.

After all, there were reasons that Sakura was sequestered to her own little section of the compound at night and it wasn't for _her_ safety. Sakura's power had a range of one hundred feet but when she was unconscious she couldn't exactly control it. Unsurprisingly the sane ones in the organization that had taken her in weren't anxious to experience a taste of what her subconscious would conjure, so they made sure she had a hundred and fifty feet to herself on all sides. It was for those self-same reasons that Tsunade, when she was coherent enough to make the trip – which wasn't often anymore – banished herself to nighttime terrors at the side of a woman who could literally make them come to life.

Sakura just really didn't want to deal with it tonight though, especially when she knew there was no chance of her falling back asleep and she'd be listening to the woman's lucid nightmares until dawn.

Drawing a blanket around her shoulders she stood and started prowling down the halls. Since she wasn't asleep anymore the danger had passed so she could use any part of these rooms as she wanted. She still felt like a caged animal but at least she had room to breathe, room to move away from Tsunade's agitated cries and pleas for forgiveness.

The name Orochimaru tumbled from the old woman's lips in the tiniest of whispers and Sakura couldn't repress a shiver.


	2. 2: Kakashi

**Challenge:** Alternate Universe  
><strong>Theme:<strong> Psychic Powers  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M - language & content

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><p><strong>2: Kakashi<strong>

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><p>Kakashi slipped out of the rundown building where his current employer bedded down his little ragtag group of meatheads and informants. They weren't a bad group, this lot, but there was a reason they'd stayed small and that was that they didn't run smart. They had an information hand off the following week and, while nothing illegal – something he could appreciate since he couldn't say the same for all the groups he'd stayed with since the beginning of his current assignment – it was something that could easily be taken advantage of. They'd scouted the location two days ago and considered that sufficient. Kakashi knew better.<p>

Every night this week he planned on sneaking out to make sure nothing had been changed at the meeting spot. He had no problem whatsoever ingratiating himself to his hosts at whatever little operation he stayed with from time to time. His overarching mission, after all, was tracking down a select group of people who'd quietly been disappearing over the years, and this seedy little underbelly of society was a great source of information and the best way to find out who didn't want to be seen, who was trying to hide what didn't want to be found, and who wanted to sell them out to the highest bidder.

This particular group though was a dead end though. They'd come up dry and it was time for him to move on. As soon as he assured himself this last meeting went through safely he would move on to his next contact, but the leader here had treated him well and was trying to act honorably in his own way. He'd grown on Kakashi and he'd consider it his parting gift.

Scratching absently at his cheek he slouched a little lower and shuffled down the alley toward the meeting place, going over it thoroughly before assuring himself it hadn't been tampered with in any way, then made his way easily back. Sleepily, he mused he should probably contact Sarutobi back at the main government headquarters after he left this place, before he moved to the next town. He'd been deep in undercover for going on two years now. It had been months since they'd been in contact and while the old grump was usually good at having tails sent after those he wanted to keep tabs on, part of the reason for sending Kakashi out was that he was good at covering his tracks. If people were disappearing it defeated the purpose of finding them if whoever was perpetrating the crimes was simply able to follow his trail.

After all the time, money, resources, and people they'd put toward figuring this out, they weren't taking any chances.

Honestly, Kakashi hoped that the other people they had on the assignment were having better luck because every one of his last five leads had turned up empty. Either he was just having a long string of disappointments or things were not looking good.


	3. 3: Sakura

**Challenge:** Alternate Universe  
><strong>Theme:<strong> Psychic Powers  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M - language & content

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><p><strong>3: Sakura<strong>

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><p>The buzzer sounded closer to nine this morning than the eight o'clock it was supposed to be, but then again that wasn't unusual. Given that this building was home to a group of men and women whose activities were somewhat less than legal and tended to happen almost exclusively at night in the gambling den next door, she was surprised the buzzer ever sounded close to the right time.<p>

Sakura had to wait to be let out of her quarters each morning, for fear she'd go wandering during the night and fall asleep somewhere else in the compound. The buzzer served double duty as both an alarm clock and breakfast announcement. She didn't need the former, though no one had ever bothered to ask. She'd spent the last two years on the road with Naruto, sleeping outdoors just as often as they did inside, rising with the sun, and she still hadn't kicked the habit. She'd been dressed for ages, just waiting for the irritating sound, but she couldn't appear to overeager, not to this group, so she took her time before ambling over to the door that separated her from the rest of the building and knocked on the Plexiglas window.

Hiroki's face appeared and he paused consideringly, tapping his index finger against his chin as if considering whether or not to actually let her out. She rolled her eyes. That joke had gotten old after the second time he'd tried it on her. She glared, letting him know she was in no mood to deal with his humor this morning, but he just smiled and swept her a grand bow as he opened the door for her. She put up with it because they both knew who really had the power here. For all that she was behind a locked door, all she had to do was look at him wrong and he'd wind up shivering on the floor. They might keep her because of her power but she'd come to them willingly and it was only until she had what she needed that she'd march to their beat.

"Boss man wants to see ya after breakfast," he said chummily as they headed toward the kitchens.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. Tsunade was still technically the head of this organization, even if it had grown drastically out of control as she continued to slip further and further away from reality. For Hiroki to refer to someone else as the boss was a bad sign. It meant talks of transitioning loyalties had moved beyond shadowy corners into broad daylight and that it had consolidated from any number of men and women vying for the position to a very small number, probably only two or three, really strong contenders.

Sakura was going to have to be very careful the next few weeks. These men would likely try to use her against each other – not that they'd be successful – but once the dust cleared whoever came out on top would likely try to get rid of her. Someone new to power would not want someone around who he feared.

"Hm, you mean Tsunade?" Sakura asked with careful neutrality, feigning absent-minded ignorance.

Caught out, Hiroki stumbled, "Oh, erm, yeah." It would be a difficult lie to be caught in since Tsunade often did request meetings that she herself forgot about.

"All right then, I can find my way to breakfast from here. Thank you Hiroki."

So summarily dismissed, the man stalked off, obviously displeased that he was going to have to explain how he'd been unable to secure the desired meeting.

When he was gone Sakura blew out a sigh of relief. She hadn't evaded the situation for long – sooner or later another lackey wishing to curry favor with a prospective new leader would come searching her out – but any delay worked in her favor. If only her leads would finally pan out.

She'd come to this cesspool for one reason and one reason only: to find her way back to Naruto. It was only for his sake that she braved a situation that got worse by the day. She'd been looking specifically for two men, Chiraki and Yato, who'd once worked for Orochimaru and had now found their way into this _wonderful_ world. _What great taste they have_, she thought dryly.

The past couple years she and Naruto had mostly laid low. It had been somewhat necessary given her particular…situation. It had also meant they'd needed to travel through some of the seedier elements of society and they'd heard some rather disturbing tales that probably hadn't made any kind of sense to most people but had made their skin crawl. Things about improved humans, enhanced powers, things the world had never seen.

Experiments.

They'd vowed they couldn't let it happen. Not again. Not after…just never. They'd done a little digging around. Then Naruto had disappeared.

Sakura could only come to two conclusions. Either Naruto had found something and had gone ahead in order to protect her – in which case she would wring his fat neck when she caught up with him – or he'd fallen into some type of trouble and needed her help. He was all she had in the world so in order to follow his trail it meant she needed to keep on the trail they'd already been on. If it wasn't for the thought of him already being somehow caught up in things, she wasn't sure she'd have been strong enough to continue on alone. Just the thought of what she might find at the end was enough to make her sick sometimes.

She'd had many other fruitless contacts but when one finally led her here she wasn't sure what to make of these two men. Yato was in his fifties, plenty old enough to have been there through all of her hellish past and played a significant role, yet he seemed to spend more time inside a bottle than out of it, and she knew from seeing it so often on Tsunade's countenance that he was usually reliving old nightmares. She had no idea if those were related to his time with Orochimaru or not, but it seemed he was useless to her. His mind was a sunken mire and he had no contacts outside the Omniyomi Organization as far as she could see.

So she focused on Chiraki. The younger of the two, he was probably only in his early thirties, a timid, somewhat diminutive man, and she'd at first thought she'd struck out completely and had planned to move on within the first week she'd arrived in this place. She was no fool and knew the deeper she got, the more involved she became in the infrastructure of this organization, the harder they would make it for her to leave.

Then she'd learned that, while he himself had no wish to reacquaint himself with his former life, he'd been shopping the idea around to some of his cohorts. He'd get shoved in a corner for being the small man around or having the fewest scars and he'd brag all about his past and the horrors he'd seen played out. Although she had her doubts about how much he'd actually been around for, that part didn't matter in the least. What did matter was that this might be the break she needed. If Chiraki really did still have connections to the things going on, if he really could back up his talk and connect any of these low level scum with anyone still in Orochimaru's camp, then it behooved her to lay low, keep calm, and bide her time until she could follow the trail back to the source.

She just hoped she was still able to make her escape when that time came.

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><p>Later that day she was cornered and finally talked into the meeting she'd been able to dodge earlier, though somewhat to her surprise all it turned out to be was an assignment to play part-escortpart-guard for a business deal going down that night on the other side of town. The powers-that-be said they wanted her along because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations and the status of the client they were dealing with. Sakura knew better.

They wanted her out of the facility that night.

She put up a little bit of resistance, just so they were aware she wouldn't placidly go along with whatever plans they cooked up for her in the future, but truth be told if they didn't want her there then it was probably for good reason and she probably really did not want to see whatever was going to happen. Besides, it was rare enough that they let her outside the walls of the compound anymore – not when tensions were escalating so much within the compound – so after her token arguments she went to change and wait in the large front entry.

In the few minutes of quiet she was afforded she did a few calming exercises that she'd learned back as a kid. She'd rarely needed them when she'd been on the road with Naruto but now they certainly were coming in handy again. It was doubtful she'd actually need to use her abilities tonight, but just because the situation was being used as a ploy to get her out of the way didn't mean it wasn't also a valid excuse. In her world it always paid to be ready for the unexpected, so clearing her mind of all the chatter and grit from her day, she slowly melted away into nothingness, a calm surrender appearing before her in her mind's eye, a glass of crystal a hairsbreadth away from shattering.

A hand on her shoulder shook her back into the outside world and she cracked an eye, glaring at the offender. He backed up reflexively, hastily making his retreat now that his job had been done. She looked around the room at the others assembled who only looked at her from the corners of their eyes. The low man on the totem pole then, or they'd worried she'd actually fallen asleep, the fools. At least they were of the group that knew enough of her to be wary.

"Who's leading?" she asked

"That'd be me." Gruff and burly, she watched Atsushi slide two short knives into holsters strapped to his forearm before sliding his coat jacket on.

"Is all of this really necessary?" she asked skeptically, in no little part referring to her own part to play in this. If all the manpower was necessary, along with the amount of firearms the others were squirreling away in their clothing, she wasn't so sure she really wanted to be a part of this little group tonight. She could just as easily feign some head malady and spend the rest of the night down in her quarters, as unappealing as that sounded.

"Not sure," he said, checking the rounds in his sidearm. Slipping a clip easily into place, he continued, "I didn't get to live this long by playing things safe though. Your part is to stay in the back and keep your head down. I know they said you're part guard but we both know what a joke that is." He glanced pointedly at her bare arms which, while toned, were hardly muscular, and she carried no weapons of any kind. Then again, she didn't need any. "You only use that head of yours at a specific signal of mine and you already know what kind of projection to use, right?"

She sighed and looked over his head at a crack on the wall. "Yes."

If the people here were any more likeable she probably wouldn't begrudge them their fear of her. After all, her powers had specifically been crafted to be offensive, to be used in attack and not defense. She might be called upon if they needed cover for a strategic retreat, but even then there was the possibility that some of her comrades might get caught up inside the projection she created. None of them relished that thought and many would prefer to fight it out rather than live through the hellish nightmares she could produce.

Though he didn't state it out loud, it was another reason Atsushi, as the op-leader, said she wasn't fit to be a guard. Guards protected what was theirs, but defense had never been on the forefront of her maker's mind. It had been completely unintentional on Atsushi's part but the jibe had cut deep. Of the two people she'd wanted to help, wanted to protect, she'd completely failed one already, and she could only hope it wasn't too late for the other.

Of course, guards worked a little differently in an organization like this. One of the reasons each of the men and women present, herself excluded, were so heavily armed was because they trusted each other little more than they did those they were going to meet, so for every gun or knife one man took every one else had to take until they were all so weighed down with weapons it was a wonder they could move at all. Then again, she supposed they all had plenty of practice.

A bit uneasy, Sakura hoped things went smoothly tonight. For all the fear she could strike into their hearts, if anyone knew where her physical body was when she cast her projection she was still a goner. After all, a projection couldn't stop a bullet. She hissed a bit at the thought and decided to clear her mind by cracking the door and sticking her face into the slightly fresher air of the city street.

Someone behind her finally said, "Let's get going," and she pulled the door open on a hearty inhale before stepping through and disappearing into the night.


	4. 4: Kakashi

**Challenge:** Alternate Universe  
><strong>Theme:<strong> Psychic Powers  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M - language & content

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><p><strong>4: Kakashi<strong>

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><p>Kakashi lounged against the wall with ill-concealed boredom. This information exchange had tittered down into little more than old men's gossip. Still, with the liberal amount of sake they still had on the table and the generous flush to the participants' cheeks, it looked like they'd still be in session for a while. With a nod to one of the men standing watch in the opposite corner he moved outside to do a quick survey of the surrounding rooms before going up the stairs and to the roof, scanning the nearby buildings and streets for any movement that seemed suspicious.<p>

Satisfied for the moment he settled into his routine rounds, happy to be stretching his muscles even at the lazy pace he set. His mind sank to a pleasant hum as he made his circuits again and again, changing the order constantly so that if anyone was watching they wouldn't be able to predict his movements. Tomorrow he'd take his leave and find a way to get in touch with Sarutobi through the network they'd set up. If nothing else he needed to let them know that he wasn't having any luck.

He sighed irritably, pushing a hand through his already mussed hair. His mission hadn't seemed that difficult from the get-go, at least not something that would take him and who knew how many others this long to achieve, but he should've known better. It seemed everything Orochimaru had touched turned to shit at some point or another so why would this be any different?

Still, it hadn't seemed like it would be so complicated. No one knew exactly how many people Orochimaru had used for his experiments, but only sixty-one had survived to be found and rehabilitated by the government. Of those, seven were dead and twelve were accounted for. Then, four years ago, the rest had started disappearing. Considering how close an eye the government had been keeping on this group as they'd grown to be adults – all thirty seven years of age, the _exact_ same age as Kakashi, for all that he wasn't one of them – it was something they'd found to be somewhat alarming.

What raised even more flags, though, was that in his three years of searching Kakashi had come across only six others, something unprecedented for him. They'd sent him not just because he was good at not being seen, but because he was good at what he did. If he wasn't finding them then there was a good chance that they were so far underground there was little chance of ever finding them again.

That was unacceptable.

Kakashi felt a frisson of something jitter up his spine and cursed under his breath. He'd allowed his mind to get away from him, such a rookie mistake. This was why he always stressed staying in the present moment.

He whipped around, dropping to a crouch, and when nothing presented itself immediately he snapped his head left and right before making for the large air conditioning unit just to his rear. It was hardly the most advantageous spot but it provided the best cover while giving him a good view of the alley behind the building. He still hadn't identified the source of his unease and that put him more on edge than anything else. Until he was able to he had to keep his options open and make sure he kept at least two exits while keeping his eye on at least one of the doors below.

In the back of his mind he reminded himself that his primary objective was to find those remaining thirty-six missing persons and that he couldn't do that if he was dead, but if he could help it, he would prevent anything from happening to those he'd been staying with the last two months. In his head he'd been part of their team and teamwork was about loyalty. For street thugs they were decent guys and he owed them that much.

Waiting on tenterhooks he slowed his breathing, willing his heart to return to a more normal rhythm so as to stop beating so loudly in his ears as he strained to hear even the slightest sound on the pavement below or the sticky tarmac of the buildings nearby. Seconds ticked by in an ever increasingly frustrating silence. Five minutes passed and Kakashi waited. Ten minutes and still he didn't move.

After twenty minutes suddenly he bolted upright, gun in one hand and knife in the other, dashing to the edge of the building. Throwing caution to the wind he kept low but made his way all the way around the perimeter, searching for someone, anyone out there but the streets were conspicuously empty, not even a vagrant in sight. When had they disappeared? How could he have missed that?

He jumped to the neighboring building just to the south of his, the cramped quarters of these old derelict inner city dwellings making the distance negligible, and continued his search, somewhat relieved to find that only a few hundred feet away street life was resumed as per usual. He retraced his steps, backtracking across old weathered rooftops in the other direction to the buildings north and finally found what he was looking for: armored guards posted outside every door of a small squat building that was surprisingly sturdy looking considering its age.

He eyed the guards warily. They were obviously competent, considering they were trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. They weren't showy about the fact that they were armed; in fact the only reason Kakashi knew what they were was because he was trained to look for the signs and for the tell-tale bulges and bunching in clothing. They were leaning against the walls, chatting with each other, smoking and drinking coffee, but were undeniably attentive. He froze in his slow perusal as one glanced up at the building he crouched on.

It was time to move on. He silently padded over to a shadowy corner and lay down to study the group for a few more minutes. For the moment his nerves were soothed and he could go back to his own group knowing that, whatever this other organization was planning for the night, it had nothing to do with his own. The nearby meeting locations were pure coincidence. Not unusual given that most of the seedier elements used this part of town. They were no threat so long as he kept his men from wandering over in this direction, especially given that some of them would be drunk and might harass any of the guards. He'd just make sure to keep them in that room until they sobered or take them on a more circuitous route back home.

He took one last good long look at the men and women on the street below him, searching for any particular identifying marks. Yes, they were of no concern to his that night – at least he hoped they wouldn't be – but as of tomorrow, when he took his leave, they would be.

Not only was this the best lead he'd had during all his time of searching, it was also the most confusing. He'd been told he was the only one. He'd read the research reports, the medical records, and the psychological evaluations for each and every person he was searching for and not a single one of them was supposed to be able to do anything like what he suspected was happening in that room down there. The government had _wanted_ there to be another like him; he doubted they could've missed anything, so how was this possible?

Only one way to find out. Even if he'd wanted to get answers tonight it would've been impossible. He couldn't just rush in there by himself, not with so many guards, not when he didn't know what was happening or how many others were inside, or who was the one he sensed. It was necessary to do reconnaissance and research beforehand in order to make any kind of operation successful so he had to push down his surge of adrenaline, the excitement that filled his gut and his overwhelming just wanting-to-know. It would have to wait.

Tomorrow, he told himself. Tomorrow.

Anticipation mixed with dread as he cautiously made his way back to his post, easily climbing back inside the small trapdoor set in the roof that gave onto the old servants' stairway. He chose to take the more cramped route back inside to give himself longer to think. He still didn't understand how it was possible, after everything, for there to be another. At least now he had the opportunity to find out and he was bound and determined not to let it go. It turned out spending all this time with this group wasn't for nothing after all; the contacts he'd made here would turn out useful in ferreting out information about the group he'd need to infiltrate to find his new target. The target who, despite all evidence to the contrary, was somehow like him.

He plucked irritably at the strap holding his eye patch in place. All the evidence he needed was right there. He'd felt this other person, their presence, their _power,_ reverberating through his eye. His left eye. That had never happened before, not even through any of the mountain of the tests the government had insisted he sit through. So there was no way he was letting this go.

Sarutobi was just going to have to wait.


	5. 5: Sakura

**Challenge:** Alternate Universe  
><strong>Theme:<strong> Psychic Powers  
><strong>Rating:<strong> M - language & content

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><p><strong>5: Sakura<strong>

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><p>Sakura groaned as she reentered the compound in the early hours just before dawn. She hated using her abilities, especially when they were more for a show of power than for any real necessity as they had been tonight.<p>

They'd been meeting with some representatives from another gambling circuit, hoping to negotiate a deal for a large, high-stakes fight – possibly to the death, though Sakura wasn't supposed to know about that part from how those on her team kept dancing around the terms and decidedly not looking at her – and how to stack the odds so as to make the most profit for the both of them.

Talks hadn't been going their way and some of the strongarms the other organization had brought in to protect their negotiators had started throwing barbs. Not unusual, in fact her team was doing the same as many of the guards on all sides were rather brainless and brought along solely for their physical prowess, but typically the negotiators would stomp it down before things got too pointed. When things got personal people stopped acting intelligently and reacted on pure instinct. That was when shit went south. Fast.

It was a bad sign that those they were meeting with hadn't said a word about a single one of the insults their mindless lackeys had thrown out. So the insults shifted from merely questions about who would win if they met one-on-one in a dark alley, to the status of their piddly little organization over all and whether it would collapse overnight since they weren't there to watch over it, to wondering if any of them were able to please a woman in bed, or even get a woman into bed without paying for her.

Despite the fact that she wouldn't trust a single one of the men with her to have her back, she was impressed with the reserve they showed. They cracked knuckles, ground their teeth, and hurled insults back, but they didn't break the trust every one entered into in one of these types of meetings by throwing the first punch. When more than just a couple of them cast her side-long glances she finally realized why.

She caught Atsushi's eye and when he gave her the slightest of nods she set to work. She couldn't use their preset plan since all her teammates were still in the room as well, so she had to think on the fly. It had to be something to give just a taste of her power; just the slightest hint of what was possible if they tried to cross the Omniyomi organization. She couldn't afford to be too subtle but neither could she be too obvious. It would undermine them if she pushed things too far, getting her companions so caught up in the illusion they forgot themselves and where they were.

Secrecy was also key to their success. It was important no one outside the organization knew exactly who the power came from. They all fed her the line that it was for her own safety, that those who feared her abilities would send assassins after her if they knew, but she knew it was because they also worried the competition would try to buy her out. Little did they know they had no reason for concern on that account, but she didn't bother to set them straight. The more shadows and layers she kept herself wrapped in the safer she was.

It was yet another reason she had to be oh so careful with her control. Those present with her already resented her to some degree, no matter how useful they found her. She was different, a freak of nature, something to be scorned and pulled out of the closet only when necessary. They put up with her presence because she was considered an asset. Every time they were caught up in one of her projections the line between being an asset and a liability came very, very close to being crossed. They were already uncomfortable around her. If they ever experienced firsthand the true terrors she was capable of there was no doubt in her mind that they'd dispose of her the first chance they got, consequences and superiors be damned.

She wasn't about to let that happen. If she had to run from the Omniyomi Organization – and they could have a long reach when they wanted – she didn't know what her next step would be. She didn't know where to begin looking next and she'd have to start over from scratch. It was much easier to try to force herself into a calm state.

Inhaling slowly, deeply, she reached deep inside herself and pulled, the tightness that coiled inside her always waiting to spring free, always, always pushing at her senses, seeking to be let out, trying to prize itself away from her grasp and let itself loose on the mass of unsuspecting victims laid out before it, and with a wrenching cry she pulled it back. Only one person from the opposition, the negotiator with the sharp eyes, looked up to see who'd made the sound, as everyone else was already too occupied with the encroaching darkness, staring in wonder and trepidation at the way the walls were curving inward toward them, at the way the floor sank away. Two of her teammates tried to cover for her by making sounds of their own, another woman on the other side of the room yelping slightly as the wall nearly engulfed her, successfully pulling the negotiator's attention away.

Sakura didn't know whether to curse or sigh. Moka was hardly a wilting flower and would never have made a sound of surprise for something as simple as a moving wall. Almost all the members of the organization had experienced one of her illusions, just so they'd be prepared know what to expect should a situation like this arise, and Moka was a stoic woman who spoke little in the first place. The only reason she'd have made any sound at all was to cover for her and Sakura hated being indebted to anyone. She'd have to search the woman out later and thank her.

She hated doing things like that. She wanted to stay as emotionally detached from the people in this organization as possible since she knew what went on there, what happened in the back rooms, in the underground rings, and what they were hoping to turn it into as Tsunade lost further control. She knew what these people were capable of and it was hard to disassociate that from the person who gave her an extra roll at breakfast (despite the jeers and dirty looks she got from others). All of it sickened her and she wished to just be done with it and on her way.

A startled cry from across the room brought Sakura's head up and she realized with a jolt that her agitation had been manifesting itself in the room. The simple claustrophobia and bottomless floor she'd intended to create had morphed into a twisted, living thing and with a harsh jerk she cut the illusion off completely.

The clock ticked loudly in the background as time reasserted itself to its normal and rightful place.

Sakura's hands shook and she hid them in her pockets, and from the similar movements around the room she knew she wasn't the only one thus affected, if for different reasons. Everyone fought to realign their minds to reality but Atsushi didn't give the other negotiators the luxury of time.

"So gentlemen, now you've had a taste of what the Omniyomi Organization is capable of, perhaps we can now proceed with negotiations in a more civilized manner. Unless, of course, you'd like another demonstration?"

He spoke with an ease that Sakura envied but she could see the tension in his shoulders and knew that he wished just as much as everyone else there that he never had to be inside one of her illusions again.

It was greatly to their advantage that Atsushi, while still obviously uncomfortable, had experience with Sakura's particular abilities, whereas the others did not, because the other organization's negotiators were ill equipped in that moment to offer up any sort of leverage for bargaining, as they were still far from gaining their bearings. Atsushi saw this and smiled like a predator drawing in on his prey.

From that point on negotiations went along smoothly, the representatives still so off balance they were only able to offer token resistance to some of the conditions Atsushi set forth. In the end almost every single of his demands were met and he walked out of the building with a broad smile on his scarred face, clapping Sakura and several others on the back.

For her part Sakura was just trying to block out the entire event, from her lack of control to just exactly what had been decided on. She tried to ignore what went on in the underbelly of her organization. She just wanted her information on tracing Orochimaru's camp, whatever remnants of it there might be. She just wanted to find Naruto, that was it. She didn't want to hear about setting up fights to the death for entertainment's sake, for others to bet on, or stacking the odds in one man's favor simply to deepen someone's pockets. She most certainly didn't want to hear the whispers about what some wanted to do with the bodies afterward to make even more profit.

The door clicked into place behind her and the lock slammed home with a finality that to Sakura sounded like nothing more than freedom. She made herself count to ten before she dashed to her room, praying that Tsunade didn't choose this night to punish herself, because her mind was clamoring, her power clawing at her and there was no way she could control herself any longer.

She let loose with a rapturous sigh, closing her eyes against the twisted forms of reality that burst forth from her. The clock slowed until it stopped altogether, starting up again in a burst of speed that sent her eyes dancing. Light glanced off every facet of her face as she watched her every nightmare, her every dream and desire come to life in front of her. Sshe gave the power free reign and things from her subconscious that she'd never even acknowledged or known about came forth into the shadowy corners of a secret room in the mock-fortress of a seedy little run-down group trying to create its own little corner of hell.

She smiled brilliantly before using everything inside her to forcefully end the illusion, something she secretly to herself called a Glide since she could so easily invade the mind of someone else, so easily violate their inner being and discover things about them they didn't even know. That was the worst part of it and she shivered as she grabbed at her blanket and wrapped it around herself again.

The worst part was, that for all the horrors she unleashed and all the depravity she saw revealed from people's minds, the sheer power was intoxicating. That she could see, even in the smallest part, what the draw, the incentive had been for the twisted, evil bastard who'd forced her into this life, chilled her to her very core.

And it was for that very reason that she vowed to herself that she would never let anyone else learn her secret, that she would do everything she could to prevent anyone else from ever becoming like her, and that she would use her abilities as little as possible.

Sometimes the exhilaration was so tempting she worried she would never come back from it.

And what was worse was that she wasn't sure her mind was staying completely intact. At the very end there, when she'd let her attention wander and lost her focus, she could've sworn she'd felt an echo of her power, a reverberation.

For some reason, that only made her feel she had less time than ever to find Naruto. Nights like these she missed him even more. When they'd been traveling together they'd sometimes stayed out in open land, to negate the possibility of her setting off any innocent bystanders, and he'd annoy her by telling her jokes and singing silly songs until late into the wee hours of the morning. She'd smack his arm to get him to stop and he'd play with her hair to lull her into slumber, knowing despite all her protests and bravado just how terrifying she found it to fall asleep and to be unaware and out of control of her powers.

She missed his bright optimism, his sunny smile, even his bad eating habits and his dirty jokes.

_Naruto, I'm coming; I promise. Please be all right. _


End file.
